7 Tips for How to Throw a Lacrosse Ball

One of the most important aspects of the lacrosse sport is throwing. Being a lacrosse player, you simply can’t be good at the sport until you are not good at throwing. So before everything else, it is important to understand the basics of throwing a lacrosse ball well and master them. A good throw is a fine coordination between your hands, arms and feet as well as your overall posture and stance. Here are top tips for how to throw a lacrosse ball while keeping in view all of these factors.

Understand the position of both hands

When a lacrosse stick is used to throw a lacrosse ball, a player uses both hands. One hand grips the lacrosse stick halfway through its length and the other hand supports the stick by gripping it at the bottom. If you are right-handed, your dominant right hand should grip the stick halfway and the left hand should grip at the bottom. If you are left-handed, the position should be reversed. The hand gripping the stick at the bottom is called the ‘pull hand’ since it acts as a pulling lever when throwing the ball. The hand gripping the stick towards the top is called the ‘push hand’ since this hand delivers the actual force to throw the ball.

Learn to use both hands

Most lacrosse players are able to throw using their dominant as well as non-dominant hands. This gives them the great advantage of being able to switch from one hand to another whenever they need, often putting their opponent at the defensive. If you want to master the art of throwing well, you should practice with both hands and ideally be able to throw with both hands. This may take a while and initially, you may not be fast enough or accurate enough with your non-dominant hand. But with practice, you will be able to master it and gain an incredibly valuable skill for the sport.

Be in the right position

It is very important that when throwing the lacrosse ball, you are in the right position with regard to the receiver. You should never directly face your team mate when making a pass to him. Instead, stand with your feet and chest facing aside from him so that you will find yourself at a 90-degree angle to the receiver. This way, when you throw the ball, you will be able to target more accurately and your team mate will find it easier to catch the ball.

Mind the footwork

Just as your hands and arms should be rightly positioned and deliver the throw right, you feet also have an equally important role to play during a throw. When you are able to make a throw, put forth your left foot so that it slightly points towards the receiver. This puts you in a stance where you are able to stabilize yourself and channel most of your force into the throw. Left-handed throwers will put forward their right foot to give them the right stance.

The throwing motion

Now that you are holding the lacrosse stick correctly, standing in the right position and your feet ready to get in a good posture, it is time to throw the lacrosse ball. To do so, bring both hands holding the lacrosse stick to your chest level. Now, pull the stick back at your dominant-hand side, keep the stick parallel and your elbows slightly bent. At the right moment, push the lacrosse stick using your dominant hand, bringing it over the top of your shoulder and right in front of you. The non-dominant hand should continue to grip the bottom of the stick and keep it stable throughout the throwing motion. With this throwing motion, you front foot should also move a step forth and by the time the stick has traveled over your shoulder and is perpendicular to you, the front step should hit the ground.

Don’t forget the follow-through

Once you have completed the throwing motion stated above, the next step is the follow-through. The follow-through involves moving your stick in the direction of the throw even after the ball has been released. This will significantly improve the accuracy of your throw and at the same time, make sure that the receiver is fully aware that he or she is to receive the pass.

Exercise to add speed and strength to throwing

As a beginner, you have to grasp the basics of throwing. Once you are able to throw, you will then face the task of adding speed to your throws in order to make them more effective. This can be done by working out not just your arms but the entire body. That’s because the throwing motion involves the core strength of your body and only by strengthening the entire body can you add force to the throw.

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